Flora of North America species comparison

thin or tuberous.

decumbent to scandent.

blade narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, lanceolate-elliptic or ovate, 1.5–14 × 0.5–3.3 cm, margins scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous.

2-ranked or spirally arranged, not glaucous;

blade sessile or petiolate.

distal cyme 1–several-flowered, usually exserted;

spathes solitary, bright green, without contrasting veins, pedunculate, usually distinctly falcate, (0.5–)0.8–4 × 0.4–1.2(–1.4) cm, margins distinct, glabrous or scabrous, sometimes also sparsely ciliate or ciliolate basally, apex usually acuminate, usually glabrous or nearly so;

peduncles 0.5–2(–4) cm.

terminal, leaf-opposed;

cymes 1–2, enclosed in spathes, proximal cyme several-flowered, distal cyme vestigial or with 1–several staminate flowers;

spathes often filled with mucilaginous liquid, margins distinct or basally connate;

bracteoles usually absent.

bisexual and staminate;

petals all blue (rarely all lavender), proximal petal smaller;

medial stamen anther connective usually with transverse band of violet;

staminodes 2–3;

antherodes yellow, medial often absent or vestigial, cruciform.

bisexual and staminate, bilaterally symmetric;

pedicels well developed;

sepals distinct or proximal 2 connate, unequal;

petals distinct, proximal petal often different color than distal 2, smaller or subequal, distal 2 blue (occasionally lilac, lavender, yellow, peach, apricot, or white), clawed;

stamens (5–)6, proximal 3 fertile, medial different in form, size from others, distal (2–)3 staminodial;

filaments glabrous;

antherodes commonly 4–6-lobed;

ovary 2–3-locular, ovules 1–2 per locule, 1-seriate.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6.3 mm.

2–3-valved, 2–3-locular.

5 (or less through abortion), brown, 2–2.8(–3.2) × 1.4–1.8 mm, deeply reticulate.

1–2 per locule;

hilum linear;

embryotega lateral.

= 11–15.